Guard's Fury
by Fireblade K'Chona
Summary: This is a oneshot from the POV of a Guard during Arrow's Fall, at the time of Talia's return to Selenay, a wreck of a human body. I can't really explain it more than that, but I think it is well-written. Please read and review!


Disclaimer: I don't own Mercedes Lackey, as usual. -sigh-  
  
This is loosely based on the songs "Battle Dawn," "Trio," and the book Arrow's Fall. Um...methinks I can't technically post the lyrics to Battle Dawn and Trio here, as that would a) take up too much room and b) be plagiarism, but I can give you a link to a website where you can find the lyrics. Here. is the address- just add three w's instead of one.  
  
I insist that you read Battle Dawn and Trio. They are works of genius. The lyrics are some of the most powerful Misty has ever written-"But in the name of all the gods, you're all that I despise--- Who planned to take by treachery my kingdom as your prize---My throne, my child, my people, all, you plotted to despoil---By tricks that only miracles enabled us to foil."  
  
One of the verses to "Battle Dawn." Gives me shivers down my spine-it's even better if you can listen to the song.  
  
My character is a woman in the Guard. She's infantry, and has marginal Healer's Gift with lots of Healing energy behind it. She can only heal small things, but she has a lot of energy and lends it to Healers in the aftermath of battles-when both armies have retreated and are licking their wounds. Her Gift has saved lives in the front lines. Her name is Wren.  
  
Begins with the scene in Arrow's Fall where Rolan brings the arrows to Selenay. Wren is guarding the Queen.  
  
Muse responsible: I don't have a clue.  
  
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I stood at attention as Queen Selenay and what members of the Council were here conferred in low voices. I was worried as well-from the edges of the conversation, I caught "Queen's Own" and "No answer."  
  
Hoofbeats shattered the silence-the ringing hoofbeats of a Companion, and a gaunt stallion staggered to the Queen, tearing a bundle from his neck with his teeth and dropping it at her feet. Absolute silence reigned as Selenay, hands shaking so hard she could hardly hold the package, opened it...  
  
And...  
  
Two arrows fell to the ground, one broken, one headless. The meaning of this was apparently significant-each Herald suddenly looked as if a blow had hit them in the stomach, driving the wind from each one.  
  
All hell broke loose as one Herald seemed to go mad, and I and my partner, Lee, were shunted from the tent.  
  
Apparently, Guards weren't going to be allowed to be privy to these secrets.  
  
A few candlemarks later, however, I and another Guard whose name I didn't know were shunted back into duty guarding the Queen and her Councilors. My new partner and I shared wry glances that said it all-us Guards would forever be given different duties contradicting the ones before-and went to our tasks. The Queen was bent over a map, conferring again in low voices with the Councilors. I obediently turned my eyes to duty again.  
  
And the same Herald who had "gone mad" earlier stumbled into the tent, carrying a wreck of a human body. My tiny Healer's Gift awoke in violent response as he set her on the bed and mayhem broke loose again. "Talia!" screamed a voice over the din as I shoved my way through the cluster and to the head of the bed. "Get a Healer!" shouted the Queen.  
  
I grabbed the Queen's arm. She turned to me, eyes worried. "My Queen-I have a bit of Heal-"  
  
She didn't even allow me to finish my sentence. I stumbled from the shove she gave me and placed my hands on the Queen's Own's forehead, thrusting my tiny Gift into the failing body.  
  
I was dismayed at the massive injures. No, not dismayed-shocked, horrified, disgusted-and my fury mounted at the one who had done this to her. I did not have enough Gift to Heal her, but I called and my reserves of power roared into my Gift, as I Reached-  
  
Crushed feet, bleeding, mangled torso, muscles torn to shreds, rape-trauma and shock raging-  
  
I hardly knew where to begin, but I had to keep her alive.  
  
I had to.  
  
With the Gift that had saved so many lives on the battlefield, yet seemed so useless now, I centered and reached for the surface of the skin, green energy rippling to my command, and closed my mental "fingers" over the wounds.  
  
[Now keep her from bleeding to death like on the battlefield-] I thought, pouring energy into my Gift, trying to stabilize.  
  
I could almost see Death, waiting for me to slip, waiting for me to fail as I tried to keep her from bleeding to death-all I had the skill to do. I stared Death in the face, hopelessly, as I poured more into my Gift, trying and failing to do more-  
  
When another Gift surrounded mine and slipped past, far greater than mine, as the sun is to a single candle. I redirected my energy into that other's Gift, giving all access to my reserves of power, for this Healer to do what I could not.  
  
Time reasserted itself as the other Healer pushed me gently from the meld. I slipped out without resistance, knowing I had given all I could give. Opening my eyes, I staggered away from the bed, nearly collapsing until I grabbed someone's arm and the person supported me.  
  
I looked at my rescuer. The Queen's haunted eyes looked into my own. "Thank you," she whispered, as I took in the sight of the Healers clustered around the bed and the wreck of the body.  
  
"Your Majesty-"I said, my tongue thick, hardly able to wrap my thoughts around the words.  
  
"You kept her from death until more Healers could come," said the Queen, quietly. "Thank you."  
  
I registered this, nodded, and collapsed, my hold on her arm loosing as blackness overcame me.  
  
I awoke on my bedroll in my tent. My tent-mate, Lee, was sitting on hers, watching me. "One of the Healers told me to give you this," she said, offering me a flask.  
  
I took it in fingers that felt like cotton and downed whatever the stuff was in a few gulps. It tasted awful.  
  
"How long have I been out? And what's going on?" I asked when I regained use of my voice from the astringent tincture.  
  
"One day, and the Healer who dumped you back here says that they've maybe got the Queen's Own stable, thank you for holding her till they could get there, and that your energy was a great help and should be fully back in four days. As for what's going on, the Queen's just about declared war on Ancar. Ancar assassinated Alessandar, the Prince has crowned himself, and apparently he's a right royal bastard who should be killed first time someone has the chance," said Lee, ticking the points off on her fingers.  
  
"Oh."  
  
This was about all I could say before I succumbed to sleep again.  
  
The next time I awoke, I was feeling much better, had about half my energy-stores left, and was now filled with fury as I had never felt before. My Healer's side had been raging against whoever had tortured the Queen's Own as I slept, and now that I knew it was Ancar, the anger had a target.  
  
[By all the gods I know, I swear I will make him pay,] I thought fiercely. [And if I'm in a rage, what will happen when I tell everyone what has happened?]  
  
The task before me changed from Healing to readying for battle and telling all I met about Ancar's treachery.  
  
--  
  
By the time his army was marching on us, the Valdemaran Guard was filled with the same fury I had-rage burned with a fierce light in all the eyes I met. I had seen the Queen once more when I was passing by where the Companions were-she had nodded to me and I saw that the anger in her eyes burned fiercer than any I had seen before she turned to bury her face in her Companion's mane.  
  
It had sent chills down my spine, but it was as if the fury in her had connected directly to mine and whipped it to yet greater heights.  
  
I stood with my sword and shield at the ready, waiting as Ancar's army marched towards us. A messenger rode forward and called for Valdemar to surrender.  
  
Selenay stood in her stirrups, sunlight shining off her hair and circlet. "What say you, my people? Shall I surrender?" she cried.  
  
My voice joined hundreds of others in a resounding "NO!"  
  
Yet the enemy did nothing.  
  
Demons sprang forth then, and for all my fury, I nearly wet myself. Clouds of dust and blades sprang forward, taking our army and mincing them into bits. One demon was aimed towards my unit-we held our ground, ready to unleash our rage on any target-  
  
When it burst into flame and vanished. Ancar's army surged forth.  
  
The trumpets flourished, and screaming battlecries, the Guard rushed in a tide of blue and silver to clash with Ancar's army, screaming with fury unfettered and unleashed.  
  
Slash, stroke, parry with shield, feint-and-strike. I hacked my way through the enemy, my fury giving me strength beyond what I could ever muster on the practice ground.  
  
My teeth bared, screaming battlecries at the top of my voice, I flung myself into battle-rage, becoming fully one with my fury as I had been too afraid to do before, succumbing to my anger as my hatred propelled me ever- deeper into the enemy forces.  
  
And then it was over as the deserters from Hardorn screamed out of the woods, as furious as I was, but for the murder of their beloved king rather than the tortured Herald I had flung myself into Healing.  
  
In the aftermath of the battle, I went from person to person, using my Healing Gift as well as I could. Here, at least, I could do something in proportion to my abilities. Stopping the bleeding here-slowing it there- that was about all I could do, yet it was enough as several other Guards trailed behind me, carrying off the ones that I had stabilized.  
  
My fury had not died, but now I was sickened at the waste, as I always was after a battle. I stopped at a fallen Herald, being nosed by her Companion, and, giving more than I usually did, for rationing my power worked best on the battlefield, I completely stopped the bleeding in an ugly arm-gash. She nodded to me as I helped her up, bringing her to sit limply on her Companion's back. The Weaponsmaster at Haven-Alberich, I had drilled with him before-gave me a nod as I passed him and the Queen's entourage.  
  
Emotions wracked my body as I Healed who I could and passed the dead I had been too late to save. Fury, still, yet the anger slaked for the moment, quelled by the sickness I felt, and the desperate sadness for those who had died. A grim hope that this would be a short war died as I looked over the blood- soaked field of bodies to the other side.  
  
Ancar was not halted. He would never stop attacking us, as long as anyone in Valdemar lived. Looking over the carnage, I swore by my honor, my blade, and every god I could name that I would fight him until my death and after, if I could.  
  
I wasn't a Herald, but I would give my life and strength to keep Ancar from doing such as he had done to the Queen's Own to anyone, ever again.  
  
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That was really depressing. Well, I hope you liked anyway, and please review!  
  
Fireblade K'Chona 


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